End of game?
by gonyosoma
Summary: Crawford played a dirty game and now he suffers the consequences


From: Gonyosoma  
Title: End of game?  
Rating: M / MA – references to violence

Disclaimer: I don't own Weiss Kreuz, the boys belong to Project  
Weiss. I just borrow them for a while. There is no money made with that fic.

Please, if you like it, send Feedback – there nothing to speed the next  
story up like some nice comments …

End of game ?

Suddenly, Crawford jumps up and starts to run. Out of the living room,  
through the floor and the stairs down into the cellar. Schuldig and Nagi  
look at each other and follow behind, curious about their leader's  
agitation.

They find Crawford standing in a heavy metal door frame, the door still  
in his hand. He stares into the dimly lit room on a slender figure,  
sitting on an old, uncomfortably looking stool.  
Ran has his hand on a dirty computer keyboard, the index finger hovering  
right above the enter key.  
"Don't!"

A cold smile slipped over the redhead's face.  
"I knew you would be there for the final."

Crawford ripped his magnum out of its holster and points it on Ran. The  
redhead just presses the enter button and stands up in one fluid motion.  
His coat isn't belted closed. It swings open. Ran is nearly naked beyond  
it; he just wears a pair of black briefs. Angry red criss-crossing  
stripes are revealed on his body, just deep enough not to bleed - not to  
scar.  
It looks like Crawford had quite his fun last night, teaching the  
redhead his place.  
Nagi gasps in horror. He knows about Crawford's sadistic games but  
seldom saw the outcome that bad. Schuldig looks between Ran and Crawford  
forth and back.  
"What did you do?"   
It isn't sure to whom the question is directed.  
Crawford stares transfixed on Ran's body. Conflicting emotions shows on  
his face. Hurt, Anger, Pain, Sorrow and slowly, as realisation hit him,  
Despair.  
"No, please don't ... Please don't tell me you did this."  
"I might have been an enemy, an ally, a Comrade-in-Arms and a Tool - but  
I have never been nor will I ever be neither a slave nor a toy. For no  
one. I recommend packing."  
Slowly, he undid the dog collar on his neck and throws it at Crawford.  
The Oracle just stands there as the heavy leather piece hit him in the  
chest and falls to the ground. He still points his magnum at Ran as if  
to shoot, but the otherwise steady hand shivers.  
The elegant man walks over to the little group, right up in front of  
Crawford.  
In spite of the whip marks, bruises, rope burns and numerous other  
lesser injuries on his body he holds himself proud, is his walk graceful  
and fluid.  
"What's going on here? Ran, do you need a doctor? Crawford, what is  
happening?"  
Nagi's voice takes a hysterical edge on.  
The hand holding the Magnum falls down, Crawford slowly slumps. He rubs  
with his other hand over his face in despair; tears start to gather in  
his eyes. He looks down on the ground.  
A deep, pleasant voice vibrates in the Cellar room. It is still coarse  
from screaming last night but unmistakably Ran's.   
"Esset never knew the extension of your involvement of the Elders death.  
They just thought you to be some runaway agents who used the ruckus to  
get away and start new. They could tolerate that, especially in the  
chaos of rebuilding Esset and minimise the damage. They always wondered  
why Kritiker was that successful and never fully resolved the accident.  
"Now they know. You better get going."  
Nagi stares at the old, dusty computer screen. Internet sites pop up  
with information; pictures jump on the screen and got overlaid by new  
sites and other pictures. It is so fast, he just sees glimpses of it -  
but already knows what they show. Schwarz killing the last elder and  
prancing in their victory.  
Nagi gazes up in the beautiful violet eyes. For once, Crawford spared  
Ran's face last night so they glitter brightly. There is a hint of  
regret in them, directed on the teenager.  
"He won't stop until I am dead or broken" Nagi knows exactly who "He"  
is. "So I decided to take Schwarz down with me. I wish I could have  
spared you. You deserve a better future. Please take care."  
Nagi nods. "It's okay, I will manage. Just get out of here soon, before  
you are caught in the crossfire."  
In this second, Crawford leaps in action.  
"You are not going anywhere." His hand closes around Ran's to thin upper  
arm, bruising it with its force. The American stares at him with a  
mixture of anger and fear.  
"You won't leave me."   
Ran turns him, so his coat swings open again and his front is fully  
exposed to Crawford. The red stripes seem to scream in accusation, every  
cruel mark on this body a charge against the Oracle. He coldly ignores  
the brutal grip on his arm.  
"You need accomplices on the run, not unwilling prisoner. Either you  
shoot me now or you let me go. There is no time for something else and  
you know it."  
His body is thrown against the concrete wall, a bigger body presses up  
against it, trapping him. Crawford holds his gun just under Ran's left  
eye, pointing upwards. His other hand catches Ran's face, stroking it.  
There is a feverish glint in Crawford's eyes.  
"They will kill you, too. You had a part in the fall of the tower,  
remember? You will come with us and we escape together."  
Ran narrows his eyes staring into Crawford's. Suddenly, the bigger man  
crouches down and holds his crotch.  
Surely he didn't see THAT coming.  
Untouched, Ran climbs over him and steps into the doorway.  
"Esset were on war with Kritiker then. They will kill me, if I stumble  
in their way but won't put much effort in finding me. Beside, "Fujimiya  
Ran" is a rotting corpse on a cemetery in Tokyo and Fujimiya Aya doesn't  
exist anymore, too. No Crawford, there is no way I am coming with you.  
This is your chance to kill me. Either that or I am leaving. Right now."  
When the man on the ground utters only inscrutable words which might -  
or might not - have been a protest, Ran turns to look at Schuldig and  
Nagi. Both have been very quiet during the exchange, especially  
Schuldig.  
"Never should have gone that far. Get going kitten, we are running out  
of time - all of us."  
Ran nods silently to his former enemies and vanishes up the stairs into  
the living quarters.  
Nagi and Schuldig stay behind to help their leader up. It seems that  
Oracle's plan to turn the kitten into his sex slave backfired badly.  
A slam of the front door announces the departure of Fujimiya Ran, former  
Kritiker Agent Abyssinian.  
Nagi is disturbed in his musing, when a pitiful wail is heard. He and  
Schuldig stare amazed on the despaired, drowned in tears face of their  
usual so reserved leader. Crawford stretches his hands in direction of  
the staircase and all he manages to whine is ...  
"Get him back, please get him back."


End file.
